I listened with a smile on my face while my 4-year-old sang her Thanksgiving songs after I picked her up from preschool. She sang songs about turkeys and one of my childhood tunes, “God is so good.” She surprised me when upon finishing the Salty classic she asked, “Mommy, what is your thankful song?” I would love to say that I had a quick answer at the ready, but the truth is that I had to pause. For a long time.
My prayers are prolific with thanks for all that the Lord has given us, but how often do I really worship with songs of thanksgiving? How often do I allow my praises to be about God and His character, rather than all the terrestrial gifts He has given for my enjoyment? This is a time of year in America where we are challenged to practice gratitude rather than greed, appreciation rather than self-absorption, thanks/giving rather than receiving. Even our dictionary recognizes the divine in its definition of “thanksgiving” as “an expression of thanks, especially to God.”(1) For the Christian, there is no better source and starting point for this model than the living Word of God.
Make a joyful noise to the LORD,
all the earth.
Serve the LORD with gladness;
come into His presence with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His;a
we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and bless His name.
For the LORD is good,
and His loving devotion endures forever;
His faithfulness continues to all generations. (2)
But you may ask, “How can I be thankful when my life is so hard/miserable/lonely/depressing?” Our God has a pattern for this as well.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be apparent to all. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (3)
It should come as no surprise, then, that science corroborates the benefits of practicing gratitude for mental health. Gratitude energizes us, builds resilience, and connects us to a greater purpose outside ourselves.(4) So in this season of thanksgiving, let’s remember that it’s not just about cultural norms and a celebration of our American history. Long before research suggested that gratitude is actually good for the brain, the Creator God gave us a template to follow so that we could experience abundant life here on earth. Let’s follow His pattern, knowing that He knows what is best for us in living a righteous life. That is another, divine gift for which we can be grateful.
Psalm 100
Philippians 4:4-9
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hope-resilience/201911/the-science-gratitude